That feeling you get when you hear Lauryn Sing

Lauryn Hill is the dakini of hip-hop. She's in touch with something, I think. NPR published a rare interview with her, in which she says, "That feeling you get [when you hear me sing], I get first." I actually teared up reading this interview. If you're a fan, it's worth reading for just a sip of the wisdom and singularity of "Ms. Hill."

As I inevitably turned on "Miseducation" after reading this article, I heard her singing "karma, karma, karma" and thought, "Lauryn Hill was my first yoga teacher." It's a funny thought. But teachers are everywhere. I was an impressionable 15 when her album came out. It's now one of my favorite albums ever. French Toast and I listened to it so much that we would compete over who knew the fast-moving lyrics the best (remember? "more powerful than 2 cleopatras"). In Iowa, that may well have been the first time I ever heard the word karma in a non-joking context. Maybe I can't really call her a yoga teacher, but I can say that in her I saw what ART looks like, which is not that far off from YOGA. You cut through the illusions and find the truth. Whether you're singing or moving your body or living your life, it will look and sound and feel like real power.